Tom Kelly

Why do business with a company that refuses to speak to you?

First-time homebuyers accounted for 28 percent of existing-home purchases in May-down from 34 percent a year prior, according to the National Association of Realtors.

NerdWallet, a consumer advocacy website based in San Francisco, announced it had analyzed national and statewide data to determine "The Best Places for Raising Kids" in Washington.

Pending home sales rose in May to the highest level since late 2006, implying a possible spark as mortgage interest rates began to rise, according to the National Association of Realtors.

You've found the house you love, had it inspected, and are now ready to go to closing. But to help ensure your decision, real estate professionals say that buyers need to add the following items to their checklist:

Shortages of key building materials-such as lumber and wall board-are a major barrier to a more robust recovery for the new-home industry, according to David Crowe, chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders.

Underwriters are being extra vigilant in verifying every detail of a mortgage application, and some of their requests for information, borrowers say, are downright odd.

Just as the use of drones - small, remote-controlled flyers with attached camera - is taking off as a marketing tactic for real estate professionals, states are taking steps to regulate the unmanned aerial vehicles.

There are perfect cities for just about every group including "young, broke and single" according to a new survey by advice web site MoneyUnder30.

Mortgage rates rose to their highest level in more than a year, which decreased demand for home loans last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.

This practice of bumping up offers often leads to second-guessing. For example, given the recent real estate meltdown, will I be paying too much for the home and suffer consequences down the road?

Of the 63 percent of Millennials who say they plan to move within the next five years, about 40 percent say they expect to move to multifamily housing.

The top five states for GDP growth were also among the five largest for population growth last year.

Among the fees in question range from $95 to $125 for "broker's price opinions." The plaintiffs, who reside in the Northwest, Tennessee and California claim that the BPOs cost $30 to produce and that according to Fannie Mae guidelines they should not cost more than $80.

Foreclosure filings-which include default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions-increased 2 percent in May, rising from a 75-month low in April, according to the latest foreclosure report from RealtyTrac.

Since the housing crash in 2008, the number of renting households has soared. Within the next decade, five to six million new renter households are expected to be formed, according to the National Association of Realtors.

We will be celebrating Father's Day and my father-in-law's 95th birthday at the same large family gathering that will also introduce our five-month-old grandson to his great-grandparents for the first time.

Bankrate.com recently featured a list of the top ways buyers back away from a home listed for sale. Its list includes these items, among others:

A study by National Association of Realtors economists revealed that graduates with a Bachelor's degree or higher are more likely to become homeowners compared to those with only a high school degree, primarily because they generally earn more and face a lower likelihood of being unemployed.

In 2013, home prices could soar up to 7.2 percent, according to a new report by JPMorgan Chase. JPMorgan Chase also revised its projections on home prices upward to 3.9 percent for 2014 and 3.2 percent for 2015.

Ninety percent of renters say they expect to buy a home in the future, but the majority is fearful of their ability to qualify for a mortgage at today's stringent underwriting standards, according to a new survey conducted by Fannie Mae.

The average home sale in King County jumped to $457,903 in May, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. The average in Snohomish County was $309,102, $234,875 in Pierce County and $286,870 in Kitsap County.

The recent rise in home prices has more investors concerned that it will be increasingly difficult to turn a profit from their rental investments.